Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-01
drawn out and-lighted only at the oppos,& ex-
tremities. Is this to be the end OF an their 3ban

drawn out and-lighted only at the onpos,t ex
tremities. Is this to be the end OF all their tban
greatness
"If get little mixed in nv metapbort ana
quotations you will know how TO make Allowance.
Seriously, isn't it time Tor q new dispensasbn In
the building OF city houses? time for som&htng
more in accord with the breadth and freebm Oh
these latter days, more intelligently practical in
the use OF modern means, methods and invei< fonss
know lt is not possible tQbuiid a forty food00uSe
on twenty foot lot: but 5 there no hope bet
tering this slender, endwis up-and-down al ange-
ment?
suppose, for the sake Of argument, yot were
obliged to build for me- or Tor yourself h{ase in
a block on one of those narrow lots. how bhould
you do It? know it il not . supposabe ca$; but,
suppose It nus, how would YOU fns-age4 The
into sympathy wv with The ea sp.s Of INDY
YOU must know that In studying the prinC pies OF
republican government am going over thtwhole
ground,-the more profound seems the wi9on OF
those who planned the nations capital, aod the
more stupendous the folly Of those who hsse pre-
vented its perfect development. IL is epdBgh TO
make a man who feels proper pride IN his tEuntry
tear his hair with rage and modification tosee The
avenues, SO broad and fine and salubriouk have
been degraded by the unprincipled machiba lions
OF those who have contrtved to obtain cobrol OF
..Boss'" Shepherd; great scott! tits q thousand
pit1es ne was not ten times the despotic manager
wish he had exercised the architeetar s senaes
ship OF Baron Hausmann; wish he had used
gathering rams and dynamite; wish he ha5 hired
the Chicago cow that Kicked over the lanters, that
Nndled the straw, that fired the barn, thac-well
how can help getting excited when I see these
beautiful boulevards,-the finest and cheapest in
the world, so fine and clean that the daintiest,
dudieSt pedestrian scarcely knows or cares whether
he Is in the middle Of the street or on the side.
walk,-tae far-reaching vistas OF beautiful shade
trees so charmingly diversified by the publicparkS
squares and circles, and ind all this admirably
planned and executed public work compelled TO
rows OF the most absurd, ridiculous and detected
looking boxes and blocks that show not
the least sign Of Intelligence or dignity
of pioneers in the wilderness have vastly more
beauty OF form and color In their external design
than these buildings that have sQuatted them
selves in the very 'front.' door yard, the drawing
place as bath tub In ball room, or a toad on a
toilet table. I'm sure / don't see what can be
done about 1t unless somebody will organize an
architectural colonization society, buy salubri.
thousand OF these relics OF barbar1sm OF to form
city by themselves. II wouldn't cost much more
than the monument, and would add great deal
more to the visible glory OF the District and to the
nation itself, for the District OF Columbia is the
daughter Of the nation, its first and only child
and as no care and attention lGvished upon bel
can be considered excessive, 50 nothing can be
more disgraceful than niggardly treatment OIL
s7But 1 am wandering from the question. How
would you build house on a narrow city lot:
When you have answered that conundrum shall
ask full instructions for my own house, which
whatever else happens, Will have windows on al
least three sides. Yours, JOHN"
To answer tho direct questions In this outburst
and at the same time demolish the unsound argu
ments will require another chapter.
T. G. 0ARDKsR.